Geochemical insights into dust source variability in Golmud, Qaidam Basin, NW China

The Qaidam Basin is a vital source area for Asian dust emissions; however， the geochemistry and transport pathways of dust in this region remain poorly understood due to lack of research on modern dust processes. In this study， we performed detailed geochemical elemental analyses on total suspended particulate samples collected in Golmud from January to June. Our analysis revealed substantial geochemical differences between dust days and non-dust days. The mass concentrations of Na， Mg， Al， K， and Ca increased by more than threefold during dust days， indicating an influx of external material， whereas the concentrations of Cu， Zn， Ni， and Ba decreased significantly. The distribution patterns of rare earth elements were more dispersed， with positive Eu anomalies observed on non-dusty days. Geochemical evidence of TSP， combined with air mass back-trajectory analysis， revealed a distinct difference in dust sources between dusty and non-dusty periods in Golmud. Dust events in Golmud were primarily associated with distant sources from the Taklimakan and Qaidam deserts， as well as the northern Tibetan Plateau. Conversely， during non-dust days， local sources including anthropogenic sources， exerted a more pronounced effect. This study significantly enhances our understanding of the variations in aeolian dust geochemical characteristics， source regions， and transportation mechanisms in the northern Tibetan Plateau.